U.S. Soccer Federation bans headers for young kids

Limits are set for older children, too; the group faced a safety lawsuit from some parents

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-soccer-bans-younger-kids-from-headers/

Faster, Cheaper Hep C Cures on the Horizon?

Pamela Anderson says the hepatitis C cure she got “will be more available soon.” Is she right? WebMD has the details.

From: http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/news/20151110/faster-cheaper-hepatatis-c-cures?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Sense of humor an early casualty of Alzheimer's

A new study finds dementia patients may exhibit a "dark" or "inappropriate" sense of humor

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sense-of-humor-an-early-casualty-of-alzheimers-disease/

Long-acting birth control use is on the rise

New report looks at the methods American women use most, and how some age groups differ

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/long-acting-birth-control-use-is-on-the-rise/

Mayo Clinic Experts Advise Caution with New Cholesterol Drugs- PCSK-9 Inhibitors

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUOG2fIhlDI

Some Kids With Heart Defects Struggle in School

Deficits in academic performance tend to rise along with severity of the defect, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20151110/some-kids-with-heart-defects-struggle-in-school?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Mayo Clinic Minute: Peds Group Offers Gridiron Guidelines

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_Xi4yemjR4

Surgery May Benefit High-Risk Lung Cancer Patients

Study showed procedure can be an option for people with early stage disease

From: http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20151110/high-risk-lung-cancer-patients-may-benefit-from-surgery?src=RSS_PUBLIC

IBM's Watson to help combat rare childhood diseases

Supercomputer teams up with Boston Children's Hospital, sifting through massive amounts of data to help find the right treatment

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ibm-watson-boston-childrens-combat-rare-pediatric-diseases/

Mayo Clinic Minute: Peds Group Offers Gridiron Guidelines

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uLM-ZFR5Sg

Self-Monitoring This May Help Heart Valve Patients

Study found self-monitoring was linked to a lower risk of death after 5 years

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20151110/heart-valve-patients-who-manage-their-own-blood-thinners-may-do-better?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Blood test may help diagnose concussions in kids

Researchers say the simple test could one day help coaches and parents make decisions about children's care on the field

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/blood-test-may-help-diagnose-concussions-in-kids/

Obese Kids as Young as 8 Show Heart Disease Signs

MRI scans reveal structural abnormalities associated with cardiac strain

From: http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20151110/obese-kids-as-young-as-8-show-signs-of-heart-disease?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Heavy Drinking May Strain the Heart

Study found abusers had 70 percent higher risk of heart failure

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20151110/heavy-drinking-may-strain-the-heart?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Belly Fat Is Bad, Even at a Normal Weight

When pounds collect around the middle, risk of premature death rises, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/20151109/belly-fat-is-bad-even-at-a-normal-weight?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Obese kids as young as 8 show signs of heart disease

"Surprising and alarming" research shows heart trouble could start developing as early as second grade

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obese-kids-signs-of-heart-disease-young-age/

Can vitamin C thwart a cold?

The science of vitamin C explained

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/can-vitamin-c-thwart-a-cold/

Lower blood pressure numbers may save lives, study shows

A major new study on blood pressure is the talk of the medical world

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/lower-blood-pressure-numbers-may-save-lives-study-shows/

Will doping report keep Russia out of 2016 Olympics?

The World Anti-Doping Agency suspended the accreditation of Moscow's main drug-testing lab

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/will-doping-report-keep-russia-out-of-2016-olympics/

Forest Service Report Highlights Restoration Progress Made Despite Growing Challenges

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 2015 -- The U.S. Forest Service has increased the pace and scale of forest restoration by nine percent since 2011, according to a report released today. The significant progress comes in the face of mounting challenges to the agency including record droughts, longer wildfire seasons and the increasing percentage of the agency's budget spent fighting wildland fires.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2015/11/0311.xml&contentidonly=true

Join FitForGood and Start Stepping

Need a little motivation to get moving? What if the simple act of walking could benefit the American Diabetes Association® and everyone affected by this disease?

Thanks to Fitbit’s FitForGood Challenge, your steps can help us win big to Stop Diabetes^®.

Sign up and Fitbit will track your steps from Nov. 9 through Nov. 20. At the end of the challenge, Fitbit will award a total of $1 million to charity. You help decide where the money goes!

Your contribution is easy – and helps you get fit. All you have to do is:

• Visit fitbit.com/fitforgood and and sign up. If you don’t have a Fitbit, you can download the Fitbit app on your phone and use Mobile Track to count your steps.
• Choose the Association as your cause.
• Start walking! Any steps you take between Nov. 9 and Nov. 20 will count toward our total.
• You can earn an additional 1,000 steps each day by sharing your results from the campaign dashboard to Facebook and Twitter.

The organization that logs the most steps wins the first-place prize of $500,000. The charity with the second highest steps will receive $350,000 and the third-place organization will be awarded $150,000. So everyone is a winner!

“I hope you will lace up your walking shoes and join in this friendly competition for a good cause,” said Kevin L. Hagan, the Association’s CEO. “Your steps will make a big difference in the lives of the nearly 30 million Americans living with diabetes.”

Regular physical activity is important for everyone, but it’s especially important for people living with diabetes and those at risk. And remember, research shows that changing our sedentary habits is one of the most effective ways of preventing type 2 diabetes.

Challenge yourself throughout the day. Take the stairs or park at the far end of the parking lot. Find other tips to “Get Fit Don’t Sit!”

Thank you for your support!

From: American Diabetes Association http://diabetesstopshere.org/2015/11/10/join-fitforgood/

Miscarriage: Keep breaking the silence

I’m heartened to see more public discourse about the pain of miscarriage. Recently, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, went public on his Facebook page with the pregnancy losses that he and his partner suffered. Beyonce and Jay-Z wrote a song about their first pregnancy loss. Nicole Kidman, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Courteney Cox, and Brooke Shields have all publicly shared their miscarriage experiences. But all too often, I still find women and their partners suffering in silence and alone.

Recently, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City surveyed over, 1,000 adults in the United States to determine what the general public knows about the causes of miscarriage and its emotional effects. Their results were published earlier this year in a paper called “A National Survey on Public Perceptions of Miscarriage.”

Fifteen percent of those surveyed said that they (or a partner) had experienced a miscarriage. Over half of the respondents believed that miscarriages were uncommon, even though studies show that approximately one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. Over three-quarters of respondents thought miscarriage resulted from stress, and over a quarter also thought that the most important causes were lifestyle choices made during pregnancy. But in fact, most miscarriages are the result of chromosomal abnormalities in the developing fetus, structural abnormalities of the uterus, or endocrine or autoimmune disorders in the mother.

To me, the most striking part of the survey was that many of those who had experienced a miscarriage reported feeling that they had done something wrong, and that they felt alone and ashamed. However, when their friends disclosed their own miscarriages to them, they felt less alone. They also felt less isolated when celebrities disclosed their miscarriages.

While it’s great that so many public figures have spoken up about their own miscarriages lately, the study results make clear that we still need to get discussion of miscarriage out of the closet. Here’s the advice I always give my patients who have experienced a miscarriage:

• Nothing you did caused this miscarriage, and nothing you could have done would have prevented it.
• Even if you had been perfectly still in bed, were totally relaxed, and ate nothing but healthy foods, you would still have had a miscarriage.
• You will be surprised at how many of your close friends and family members have experienced miscarriage. Share this experience with them.

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• Heads up, parents: New study with important information…

The post Miscarriage: Keep breaking the silence appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Hope Ricciotti, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/miscarriage-keep-breaking-the-silence-201511108601

Being normal weight with belly fat more deadly than obesity

A new study suggests it's not just how much fat you carry, but where it's located, that matters

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/normal-weight-high-abdominal-fat-more-deadly-than-obesity/

Mindfulness exercises

From: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356